SAN DIEGO, Calif. [CBS 8] – Detectives are hoping national exposure will help locate a missing Fallbrook family. A new flyer is being circulated and investigators are reviewing surveillance video to see if the family may have crossed the Mexico border.
With no leads in the mysterious disappearance of the McStay family, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is circulating a new flyer nationwide.
The family’s white, Isuzu Trooper was found abandoned February 8 in San Ysidro and routinely towed at 10 p.m.
“Right now, we’re still reviewing surveillance tapes at the International Border with Mexico,” Lt. Brugos told News 8.
Whoever drove the Isuzu to the border likely took the last freeway exit right before the border crossing; then a right on Camino de la Plaza; and another right just one block away into the parking lot of the San Ysidro Village shopping mall.
The truck was found in a high foot-traffic area. It seems unlikely the family would have been removed by force from their vehicle in a crowded parking lot. Mall security says all vehicles found abandoned in the mall are towed every night at 10 p.m.
Surveillance cameras in the area may not be much help.
One rooftop camera inside the mall covers the entrance to the parking lot, but not the area where the Isuzu was abandoned. Another camera across the street aims back toward the mall parking lot but it’s unclear whether either camera has usable footage.
“It’s hard to tell how productive they might be. The quality that I’ve seen in the past (with other cameras) hasn’t been that good,” Brugos said.
At the pedestrian border crossing just two blocks away there are even more cameras, and hundreds of hours of footage that officers and volunteers with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will continue reviewing in the coming days.
Meanwhile, detectives continue to take a close look at all business associates of Joseph McStay. Still, they have no suspects and officers are urging anybody with information to call the San Diego Sheriff’s Department.
just wanted to tell you me and my church will keep you in our prayers i hope you find your family we will pray for you
first of all it looks like he made a good living putting fountains in homes
and could he have had another business that he did not tell you about.
Sounds like the witness protection program has him. just a guess but if
they are in that program nothing would be taken with as they get new id’s,
ss numbers and names. again just a guess… I will say a pray.
regards/ Brian
This may be a stupid question, but has anyone canvessed eyeglass stores in say, a 30 mile radius to see if Summer ordered a new pair of glasses? If she left hers, she would need them…if this was planned, she could have gotten a new pair several weeks prior and just not used them.
And I don’t know why everyone focuses on Mexico….you can’t see a thing in that tape, and as far as the vehicle being left at near a border, anyone could have done that, just as anyone could have done a search on their computer.
In my opinion, it was either very well orchestrated, or forgive me, a well planned kidnapping. I’m betting on the former….and I say they are far away.
One more thing. In many of the pics, it shows Joseph and the kids doing the Hawaiian “Hang Ten” sign….do they surf? Perhaps they are in Hawaii or some other place where they can surf. Just a thought.
Does anyone find it odd that the neighbor’s surveillance camera worked on the last day that the family was seen and then didn’t work again until the day the family was reported missing? They had just moved into this house in the end of 2009 right?